


Nightmarish

by theriverstyx



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Shadowhunters (TV) RPF, The Mortal Instruments (Movies), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Married Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Max lightwood-bane - Freeform, Nightmares, Parents, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, abused max, daddy Magnus, papa Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 15:16:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13977843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriverstyx/pseuds/theriverstyx
Summary: Alec and Magnus have adopted Max, but unfortunately can't erase everything his mother did to him.





	Nightmarish

**Author's Note:**

  * For [literally everyone I let down with my other fics](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=literally+everyone+I+let+down+with+my+other+fics).



Alec woke in the middle of the night to the sound of aching sobs coming from his son's room. His foggy mind ran a million miles a second trying to figure out what was wrong. 

Alec’s body decided to act on its own as he stumbled out of bed and ran to the boy's room. When he opened the door, his heart felt like it had been stabbed eight times. He was met with the sight of the small child cowering away from the open door, hiding himself under his covers, and trying to be quiet, obviously scared of whoever opened the door. 

Alec walked over quietly, peeling the covers away from the small child. Trying to make soft movements as to not frighten the boy even more. 

Max whimpered at the feeling of his shield of covers being pulled away, automatically clasping his hand over his mouth the stifle the sound, eyes clenched tight. Maybe if he was quiet enough, the bad man would go away. 

Alec smoothed a hand over the black locks, making Max flinch harshly. The boy still had his eyes clinched painfully tight. Alec’s breath faltered as he figured out what must be going through the boy’s head. 

"Max. Hey, Maxie,” he whispered softly as if he was talking to a spooked animal. 

Alec pulled the little boy's hand away from his mouth, kissing the little fingers before holding the hand to his face so Max could feel that it was him. 

The boy cracked an eye open deciding the risk of hurt was worth it if Papa was really there. Relief flooded every corner of the boy’s blue eyes when he met Alec’s comforting smile and soft gaze. 

“P-Papa?” Max asked in a small squeak, not sure if this was a trick or not. Max knew he’d been tricked before, and that hadn’t ended well for him. He didn’t want a repeat performance. 

“Hey, peanut,” Alec said as he nodded and smiled slightly, standing up so that he could lay down with Max. Alec instantly regretted moving as he heard Max’s pained sniffles. 

“Papa, no. Papa, don't leave me,” he whimpered as he saw Alec stand, more tears falling from his eyes. Alec shifted to lay down beside him, pulling the boy close to his chest. 

Alec felt his heart shatter, internally wincing when Max's little fingers gripped onto his shirt tighter and the little body curled as close to him as it could get. He seemed, Alec noticed, to be hiding himself in the safety of Alec’s side. 

“What’s wrong, Maxie?” Alec asked softly as he pet the boy’s unruly black hair. He wasn’t sure he really wanted the answer, but he knew he needed to know. 

Max whimpered pitifully, the sound absolutely yanking on Alec’s heartstrings. “Bad dream, Papa, really bad dream.” 

Alec closed his eyes for a second to prepared himself for what he knew he’d hear next. 

"What happened in your dream, Sugar?” he asked, knowing that even though recalling it would make Max cry harder, the reassurances Alec would give would make up for it tenfold. 

Max pressed his face into the crook of Alex's neck, using his skin as a tissue for his tears and his body as a shield from everything that Max saw but Alec couldn’t defend against. 

"Mo-Mother was there," he whimpered. Alec held him tighter. 

"S-said she was going to t-teach me a l-l-lesson. I d-don't like her lessons, Papa. They hurt," Max sniffled, wrapping his little arms around Alec's neck. Max burrowed in tighter to Alec’s chest, seeking shelter that Alec would happily provide without question or hesitation. 

Alec smooth down the hair on the back of his son's head, squeezing his eyes shut, willing his tears to go away. He needed to be strong for Max. No matter how much knowing what his father did to him hurt. 

"Th-then she s-said that you and Daddy didn't really l-love me and you would throw me away," he said as he went back to sobbing and clutching onto Alec even tighter. 

"D-don't throw me away, Papa! Please keep me! I'll- I'll be a good boy! I'll be the goodest boy! I promise! J-just don’t give me away,” he pleaded and begged as he started shaking and trembling. 

"Shhh, shhh, baby. Daddy and Papa aren't throwing you away. Ever. You're staying right here with the people who love you. We all love you. Uncle Raphael, Aunt Clary, Aunt Isabel, Uncle Jace, and Uncle Simon. Especially Daddy and me," Alec promised as he stroked Max's black hair. 

Max's body slightly relaxed at his words, but his hands still clutched at the fabric of his shirt. 

"Promise, Papa?” Max said quietly. 

Alec squeezed his eyes shut, holding in his own tears. He had never loathed a person as much as he did Max's mother right now. 

“I promise, love," he said reassuringly as Max relaxed further into him. 

Alec moved to get up, planning on being the child back to his room. The movement elicited a pitiful whimper from the small boy as he shook his head and buried his face deeper into Alec's shoulder. 

Alec sighed and unfurled the small fingers from his shirt, giving the small digits a kiss before standing up and righting his shirt. Alec took a deep breath before kneeling back down so that he was eye level to his son. 

He swept the boy's stray locks from his face, leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead as he wiped his tears. 

"Come on baby, how about you sleep with Daddy and me tonight?" he said as he stood and scooped up Max and placed him on his hip where Max hugged his neck and stifled his sobs with the crook of Alec's shoulder. 

Alec made his way into the master bedroom, heart wrenching at the sight of a sleeping Magnus. He didn't want to wake him up, but he knew it was more than necessary. 

Alec sat down on the bed, his back against the headboard, letting Max's little legs straddle his hips. 

He placed a hand on his husband’s shoulder, shaking him awake gently. 

“Wha-? Alex-ander?" Magnus asked, still in the haze of sleep. 

"Magnus, it's Max,” Alec said softly but concerned, trying to hide most of his urgency as to not upset Max more. 

Magnus was wide awake then. He shot up in the bed, mind automatically assuming the worst. 

His heart plummeted when he saw the distraught little boy in Alec's lap. 

He reached his hand out to touch the back of the boy's back, rubbing it soothingly. 

Max flinched slightly, hugging Alec tighter before he realized that it was his daddy who was touching him. Daddy is good. Daddy would never hurt him. 

He turned his little face around, so that Magnus had a clear view of his blood-shot eyes and reddened face. 

"Oh, sweetheart," Magnus said sadly. Max started sobbing again, twisting in Alec's arms and making grabby hands at Magnus. 

“D-Daddy,” he sobbed, the fear of his nightmare coming back to him full force upon seeing Magnus. 

Magnus grabbed the little boy, putting his face in the space between his neck and shoulder. Magnus placed his hand on the back of the boy's head, petting down the unruly hair in a soothing gesture. 

Max wiggled closer, so scared that Daddy and Papa would all of the sudden change their minds and not want him anymore. Max reached out a hand for Alec, needing the support of his other father to reassure him. 

Alec grabbed the child’s hand instantly, rubbing his thumb across the tiny knuckles before leaning down to plant a kiss on each of Max’s fingers. 

Alec scooted closer to the pair, close enough that he could hold Max’s hand without the boy having to hold his arm out in an uncomfortable position. He made eye contact with Magnus who shot him a terribly worried look before a little voice caught their attention. 

“Daddy, I-I know I cause a lot of t-trouble, b-but please don’t send me back to Mother. She-she’s m-mean, and y-you and Papa are so nice and make me h-happy and I never want to b-back!” Max sobbed into Magnus’s shoulder again. 

Magnus held on tighter to the boy, a deep anger surging up inside him. How dare someone treat this precious child like this?

“Sugar, you’re never going back to that awful woman. I promise, Max. Never. She’d have to get through your Papa first,” Magnus said with a little humor, making Max huff a laugh and Alec roll his eyes at him. Max looked back over at Alec smiling a little. 

“Yeah and Papa’s a superhero! Papa would kick Mother’s butt!” Max said with a smile, the fear of his nightmare mostly forgotten in the wake of this train of thought. 

Magnus gave a soft chuckle before pulling Max up and meeting his eyes. Magnus took a second to admire the blue of the boy’s irises. When they went places, people probably thought that Max and Alec were biologically related judging by their shared black hair and almost identical blue eyes. 

“You’re right, Maxie, Papa’s a superhero. He’ll fight any bad guy who tries to hurt you. You know why?” he asked the child, earning a quizzical look in return. “Because he loves you very much. We both do, and that’s why you’re never leaving,” he said as he pressed a kiss to the boy’s cheek. 

Magnus used his position to playfully smothered Max in kisses everywhere from his hairline to his chin, smiling at Max’s squealing laughter. 

“Besides, if someone ever got past Papa, then they’d have to get through me next, and I’m not nearly as easy an opponent as Papa is,” Magnus said as he leveled Alec with a playful look. Alec just narrowed his eyes and shook his head, and if Magnus saw the soft smile Alec was trying to hide, he didn’t mention it. 

The small family just stayed like that, with Max laying on Magnus while talking about everything and nothing, occasionally looking over at Alec for reassurance that he was still there. At one point Alec had to go to the bathroom, and Max looked over to find Alec missing. The fallout from that was almost as bad as that of the nightmare. Max demanded to be held by Alec after he returned. 

For the half hour, Max laid on Alec’s chest, tracing the tattoos on Alec’s arm before Max tired himself out and fell asleep. Alec shifted and laid the child down on the bed between him and Magnus, barely trailing his index finger across the boy’s cheek. 

He looked to Magnus, who looked about as tired and weary as he felt. 

"What the hell was that, Alec?” Magnus asked, smoothing the little boy's black curls with his hand. 

Alec squeezed his eyes shut tightly, feeling them prick with tears. 

"He had a nightmare, about his mother," he explained as Magnus stiffened, "He asked me if we were going to throw him away, Mags." 

Alec let a few tears slip down his cheeks, the memory of his little boy’s destroyed face fresh in his mind. 

Magnus felt his own eyes well up as he shifted them back to the sleeping boy. Max looked so peaceful in sleep, so young and innocent. Magnus could easily imagine the hell he went through, the little boy reminding him so much of his younger self. 

"God, Alec, what are we gonna do?" he asked through his tears. He would give anything if it meant Max would never have to think about that horrid woman again. Magnus knew how it felt to be insecure about someone’s love for you, always used to being told how unlovable you are. A person can only hear it so much before they believe it. 

Magnus was briefly reminded of when he used to feel that way about Alec when they first started dating. Enjoying the relationship and the freely given affection Alec always made sure to show him was one thing, but despite how easy it was for him to fall completely in love with Alec, Magnus was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Forever waiting for something good in his life to be taken away without reason or explanation. 

Alec leaned over, pressing a kiss to Magnus's forehead, noticing the dark turn Magnus’s thoughts had taken. Alec steeled himself, making up his mind and solidifying his will. He’d convinced Magnus, hard-as-nails yet soft-as-silk Magnus, that he was worthy of the love Alec was freely offering, and Alec would be damned if he didn’t do the exact same for Max. 

Alec sighed softly before answering Magnus’s earlier question. “We love him, Magnus. We show him that there’s no way in hell anyone is taking him away from us and the life we’ve given him. There's nothing else we can do," he said as he laid himself out on the bed next to his son, looking up at the ceiling. 

Magnus sniffled pitifully. Wasn’t there something more they could do? Arrest Max’s mother? Find her? Kill her? Make her regret ever treating such a gift like shit? No, Magnus knew that Alec was right. As much as he hated that they couldn’t give that woman hell, he knew they had to focus on what’s important- their son. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re,” Magnus whispered. He looked up, hoping to gain some sort of courage or strength from Alec, but he was already asleep.


End file.
